According to popular wisdom, 2016 was a terrible year. Horrific terror attacks struck many countries. The Syrian crisis claimed tens of thousands of lives. Turkey withstood suicide bombings and a failed coup. More than 70 countries experienced a decline in freedom. Political shocks included Brexit and Donald Trump’s victory in the United States’ presidential election – both unforeseen by the media or political elite. Zika was declared an international public-health emergency. The year is likely to be the warmest ever measured. Reading the opinion pages, there is a sense that...

Giant pandas are among the world’s favourite creatures, becoming viral video sensations simply for sneezing or rolling around cutely. In a year with seemingly little cheer at times, there was good news for all who love the bears. That came when the International Union for Conservation of Nature ­removed them from the endangered species list – reducing their threat status to “vulnerable”. Perils facing iconic animals like these have often been used by environmental campaigners to deliver an alarming message: the planet is going to hell in a handbasket. We shouldn...

Thanks to the election of Donald Trump as the next United States president, diplomats and governments around the world are wondering what to expect from the next four years. When it comes to climate change, many environmental campaigners are alarmed, which is understandable because Trump has sent mixed signals and the world does not know anything about the incoming US administration's plans in other areas. But there could be cause for hope, and even a potential opportunity for China. Climate change is real and mostly man-made. On the presidential campaign, Trump said he would dump the...

Climate change means more extreme weather: This is a simple, powerful claim that has been pounded into our consciousness for a decade. From Greenpeace to President Obama to Scientific American, scarcely a weather event happens without someone pointing the finger at global warming and calling for action. But there are big problems with this simple statement, which are exposed starkly in recent peer-reviewed analysis in the journal Weather, Climate and Society by University of Manchester scientists Vladimir Jankovic and David M. Schultz.

The unexpected election of President Donald Trump has prompted diplomats and governments around the world to question what to expect from the next four years. When it comes to climate change, many environmental campaigners are alarmed. This is understandable: Trump has sent mixed signals, and we have much to learn about the new administration’s plans. But there is cause for hope, and even a potential opportunity for India...